David Emerson's Sister
by socialgal5
Summary: David Emerson's sister becomes involved in the day's events in a way she never expected.Also features Jack, Tony, and Renee.
1. Resisting arrest

_I'm a huge fan of 24 and this is just a random drabble. Let me know what you think._

The room was so small and I still wasn't sure how I'd gotten there. I'd been in the middle of class when two men in suits had come in and flashed FBI badges. They said they needed me to come with them. I refused at first and that's when the handcuffs had come out. They slammed me into wall and cuffed my wrists together tightly, much to the amazement of my English 101 fellow students.

I knew that there had been some sort of airplane crash near D.C., but I hadn't thought anything about it. My brother was a pilot and he said that air traffic controllers had so much stress to deal with that they often committed suicide.

I was forced into the back seat of a dark SUV and driven to the FBI building in downtown Washington D.C. My mind was immediately reeling with questions. Did this have anything to do with the movies and music I'd downloaded off the internet recently? If that was the case, they should've arrested all the college students. Everyone downloaded stuff off the web.

Now, as I grew uncomfortably nervous and somewhat claustrophobic in this room, I went through all my recent actions. I hadn't gotten any speeding tickets, hadn't really broken any laws…I had absolutely no idea was I being held here.

The door to the room opened and two people walked in—one a slender woman with red hair and a gun on her hip, and the other a good-looking man wearing tactical gear.

"Why am I being held here?" I asked, looking from one of them to the other. "Did I do something wrong?"

As the man went to uncuff me, the woman spoke. "I'm sorry about having to use the cuffs, but my agents indicated that you weren't willing to come right away. We needed to speak with you about a matter of national security."

"Listen," I said. "I downloaded three Taylor Swift songs onto my IPOD. That's it. I didn't do anything else."

"This doesn't have anything to do with the music you downloaded, I'm afraid," the woman said, looking down at the folder in her hands.

Something suddenly told me that I had a problem. I didn't know what it was, but instinct told me that something very bad was about to happen.

"Ms Emerson, do you have a brother named David?" the man asked me, sitting down in front of me.

"David? Yes, he's my brother, but I haven't seen him in almost two years. He stays really busy with work," I explained. "Is he okay?"

"I'm afraid he's dead," the man told me quietly.

I choked on air, unable to comprehend what had just happened. David, my beloved older brother, was dead. "How?" I gasped, tears filling my eyes as I desperately tried not to cry.

"Ms. Emerson, your brother was involved with some unsavory people. He was working with terrorists. The same people responsible for the plane collision an hour ago."

I was incredulous. These people obviously had the wrong David Emerson. My brother would never be involved with terrorists. "I'm sorry, but you're wrong about David," I insisted. "He's a good man!"

The woman put the folder down on the table and opened it. A picture of my brother, covered in blood, with his eyes wide open despite the fact that he was obviously dead, stared up at me. Immediately, I felt sick to my stomach.

"Get that away from me!" I screamed, pushing the folder away and burying my face in my hands as I fought the urge to throw up.

"Ms. Emerson, the men responsible for today's attacks want something now," the man announced. "They want you!"

_Let me know what you think, please!!!!_


	2. Darkness finally closes in

_I'm a huge fan of 24 and this is just a random drabble. Let me know what you think._

My mouth dropped open and I struggled desperately to comprehend what was going on around me. Everything seemed to be closing in around me.

"They want…me?" I gasped, trying to breathe normally. I stood up and tried to walk around. The floor seemed to spin beneath me.

"The man who wants you is named Colonel Ike Dubaku," the woman told me.

"The man from Sangala? The one who has been killing so many innocent people?" I thought the name sound familiar, as I watched the news a lot.

"Yes. Your brother was working for this man Dubaku and now that he is dead, the Colonel says he wants you. We aren't sure why. Can you tell us anything?" the man wanted to know.

I leaned against the wall, trying to steady myself. "David…wasn't a terrorist. He was my big brother. He told me he worked for the government, but he couldn't tell me what he did exactly." I covered my eyes, trying to block out what was happening to me.

"Your brother lied to you," the man said, his voice hard and cold.

Something inside me snapped—David was the only family I had and now he was dead and these people were accusing him of treason. "You're all lying to me!" I screamed. "David was a good man! He couldn't have done anything wrong. Now, let me out of here!" I tried to open the door, but it was securely locked.

The strange man's hand closed around my arm in a tight grip. "I need you to sit down, Ms. Emerson," he insisted quietly.

I struggled to get away from him, taking a swing at him. "Let me go!" I half screamed, half sobbed. Then I went completely limp in his arms, bursting into tears. He let me sink to the floor where I huddled in a miserable heap, sobbing helplessly.

"Maybe we should let Tony talk to her," the woman suggested.

Tony Almeida? I heard them mention that very familiar name and I looked up sharply, my cheeks covered with tears. "Tony Almeida's here?" I asked. "Where? Can I see him?"

Without another word, the woman opened the door and she and the man left. Tony came in a soon as they were gone. I stood up and threw my arms around him. It had been several months since I'd seen him.

"Tony," I sobbed. "They're saying David did awful things, but I don't believe them. Haven't you told them that he was a good guy?" I looked up at him pleadingly.

"Elle, what they told you about David…it was true," Tony admitted, looking down at the floor.

I backed away from him slowly, shaking my head. "Why is everybody lying to me? David was a good man, and you are too. If he was a bad guy, you wouldn't have been working with him, right?"

Tony shook his head regretfully. "I was helping him for a while, but then I realized where my true loyalties lie. I'm sorry, Elle."

It began to sink in gradually—the truth about David. "What exactly was David involved in?"

"You don't really want to know," Tony told me. "It's complicated and it will only upset you more."

"Why does this guy want me, Tony? I don't know anything about what David was involved in, apparently." I sat down at the chair again and buried my face in my hands, not wanting to face this bitter truth.

"For all we know, he just wants to kill you. We just don't know. But he's demanding this from President Taylor. She has to comply, or he'll kill more innocent people," Tony explained.

"You mean that he might just want to kill me for no really good reason?" The disbelief echoed in my voice. Suddenly, everything went completely black as the darkness finally closed in around me.


	3. I will protect you

_I'm a huge fan of 24 and this is just a random drabble. Let me know what you think._

When I woke up, I was in the back seat of an SUV. My wrists were bound with a plastic slip tie and my head was pounding terribly. Tony was in the front seat and the good-looking guy from the small room was driving.

"Where are we going?" I asked, weakly sitting up. My head spun dangerously and I groaned softly.

"We're taking you to Dubaku," the strange man explained.

"Who the hell are you?" I demanded to know, trying to act braver than I actually felt.

"Elle, this is Jack Bauer. I used to work with him at CTU in Los Angeles," Tony explained quickly.

"What gives you guys the right to turn me over to this murder?" I asked. Then, I looked directly at David's good friend. "Seriously, Tony. I remember a time when all you cared about was my safety." The bitterness of the past rang in my voice and I didn't bother to hide it. Tony had broken my heart.

Jack looked sharply at his friend. This girl was at least fifteen years younger than Tony, but from what she was suggesting, they'd had a relationship. "Did something happen between you two?" Jack asked, the awkwardness of the question not really registering with him.

"It wasn't anything," Tony insisted fiercely.

I shook my head, not believing what I was hearing. Tony had been David's closest friend and confidante. Whenever David called to check on me, Tony was always there with him. Then, he had showed up at my dorm one day with a beautiful diamond necklace—a gift from my brother. From then on, he came at least twice a month and before long, we had become good friends. Then one night, I realized that he seemed depressed and I asked about it. Soon, we were having a heartfelt conversation. Tony told me about his wife's death and how lonely he was. Before I knew it, we were kissing passionately in my apartment.

He came more often after that, always convincing David to send me something. Then one day he'd stopped coming. I had called him dozens of times, but he never returned my calls. Someone else started bringing the gifts after that.

"You know, Tony, I kept telling myself that I didn't hate you—that you must have some really good reason for not coming to see me. Now I know the truth—I do hate you," I told him angrily.

"Just shut up, Elle!" Tony snapped, slamming his fist down on the center console of the SUV. "Just shut up!"

I did. I curled up in the corner of the back seat, as far away from Tony Almeida as I could get. Somehow, this man was different. He'd changed from the man I'd fallen in love with. What kind of stupid college girl was I, anyway.

"We're going to do everything we can to keep you safe, Ms. Emerson," Bauer told me quietly.

"You're handing me over to a terrorist," I reminded him. "Someone who will do God knows what kind of awful things to me. And I didn't even have a say in the matter."


	4. A kiss from a memory

Tony, sitting in the front seat while Jack drove and Elle Emerson cried softly in the back seat, was experiencing myriad emotions. He had to keep his expression blank, so as not to alert Jack to what he was thinking or feeling.

David had always felt that being around his little sister was dangerous—that she was such a good person that he might influence her badly. So, he had stayed away from her, sending gifts whenever he could. Tony had been the courier and Elle's bright blue eyes had melted even his cold heart. She was twenty-two, blonde-haired, and slender. She was a Junior at Harvard and very private. Gradually, however, she had gotten used to Tony showing up at her apartment with the unexpected gifts. One night, he'd taken her out for coffee. Then, one night when his mind was dwelling on Michelle's death, he'd gone to see her. She had instantly realized that something was wrong, and the next thing he knew, he was having a secret relationship with her.

David had found out somehow. Tony wasn't sure how, but he had and he had insisted Tony never go back. It was too dangerous for Elle to be involved with people like them. Now, Tony was about to turn her over to Colonel Ike Dubaku, a man who he knew would undoubtedly hurt her before he killed her. It was more than Tony could bear, thinking about the life being strangled out of that beautiful girl. He knew he shouldn't have, especially since she was much younger than him, but he'd fallen in love with her. Truly.

I seemed to have dozed slightly, or either I passed out again. I wasn't sure which. Anyhow, the car stopped suddenly and I opened my eyes. Jack and Tony were getting out and Bauer opened the door for me.

"Get out," he ordered me.

"No," I replied evenly. He grabbed my arm roughly and jerked me out easily.

"If you follow our orders, you might actually make it out of this ordeal alive," he told me, pulling me away from the car.

"Let me go!" I cried, pulling away from him. "I don't trust you!"

Bauer squeezed my arm with all his strength and I gasped from the pain of his fingers digging into my skin.

"JACK!" Tony exclaimed, pushing him away. "Let me talk to her for a minute, okay?"

Jack stared at me for a minute, then at Tony. "You've got three minutes. Then we have to get moving."

Tony took my other arm, the one that did have a bruise in the shape of Jack Bauer's hand on it and led me around the car. Not very gently, he forced me back against it.

"You have to listen to us, Elle," he insisted quietly. " I know you're scared, but I promise you that Jack and I are going to do everything we can to make sure Dubaku doesn't hurt you. We need you to be brave, though."

"Tony, he's a _mass murderer!_ Killing one college student isn't going to take him over a second. You don't even know why he wants me. I don't even think your friend cares."

Suddenly, Tony leaned in and pressed his lips against mine firmly. His hand immediately went to the back of my neck and he pulled me closer. I wanted to cry with joy and sadness as the memories of the hours we'd spent together came flooding back. I felt so safe with him so close to me.

When he pulled away, I was completely breathless and more shaken then before, it seemed. This had only confused me even worse.

"I love you, Elle. I really do. But right now, we have to stop this guy, and if giving him you means that we get closer to him, then that's what we have to do. But I promise, I will get you back," Tony vowed.

I leaned in once more and kissed his lips softly and lingeringly. "Just make sure I'm alive and in one piece when you do, okay?"

_Someone pointed out that now Jack, Tony, and Renee seem to be working with the FBI. The next piece will be MY version of what happened. I'm making this up, so just know that it has nothing to do with what may happen in Season 7 of 24 from here on out. Check for the next chapter later today on what's going on with all this! Thanks you guys!_


	5. Introductions and an Explanation

_Okay, just for the record, my story isn't going to exactly follow what's going on the actual Season 7. Just stay with me and remember—none of this actually happens in the show…yet, that I know of anyway! LOL_

Tony led me back around the car and into the nearby warehouse. Two people were already there—the two people who had arrested me. I was confused. Hadn't they been at the FBI building a short while ago?

"Elle, this is Chloe O'Brian," Bauer introduced me to a young brunette woman, and then to an older, white-haired man. "And this is Bill Buchanan."

"I take it you guys aren't really FBI," I wanted to know.

"No. You can trust them, though," Tony assured me.

"So, was the entire thing at the FBI building a hoax?" I asked, beginning to wonder. "I didn't ever see anyone else there, come to think of it."

"We just wanted to see what your initial reaction would be," Chloe spoke abruptly. "We figured out that you wouldn't come willingly. Jack was going to drug you, but you passed out before he could do it."

I sighed wearily. My head was pounding and I was so confused by what was going on around me. "So, that red-headed woman…what was she?"

"Renee is an FBI agent, but they think she is dead. We wanted to make you think everything was official," Bauer explained. "She managed to sneak us in a back door where we wouldn't be noticed."

"Can someone please give me a detailed explanation of what the hell is going on around here? I'm really, really confused," I admitted.

"I'll explain it to you while Chloe and Bill are prepping the tracking devices. We don't have much time," Jack told me.

Bauer took me over to a far corner of the large room and sat me down in a chair. "We recently delivered Sangalian Prime Minister Matobo to Dubaku a little over an hour ago, but when we got there, he demanded we bring you to him. We're not sure why, but it gives us an opportunity to get closer to him."

"What happened to Matobo?" I inquired, interrupting his narrative.

"We don't know. They took him away somewhere. We're not sure what happened," Jack told me honestly.

"So, the same thing could happen to me, right?" I looked him straight in the eye, wanting a serious, truthful answer.

"We're going to put a tracking device underneath your skin and then, hopefully, you'll be able to make contact with the Matobos while you're being held prisoner."

"What do you mean 'Matobos'? There's more than one of them in there?"

Jack nodded. "His wife is with him."

I leaned back in the chair, covering my eyes with my hand. The sunlight was making my headache worse.

"Are you willing to help us?" Bauer wanted to know.

"Do I have much of a choice?" I asked, smiling grimly at him.

"Not really." Jack gave me the same smile back.

I stood up to walk away, but he caught my arm with an iron-like grasp. "What's going on between you and Tony?"

"Nothing," I lied, trying desperately to pull away from him.

"You're in love with him, aren't you?" Bauer had easily discerned my secret.

"Yes, I am," I replied very simply.


	6. Tracking Device and some respect

_Okay, just for the record, my story isn't going to exactly follow what's going on the actual Season 7. Just stay with me and remember—none of this actually happens in the show…yet, that I know of anyway! LOL_

Once back with the group, Jack and Buchanan began loading guns and putting them in the back of the SUV. Chloe, the pretty brunette young woman, was busy with something in a silver briefcase.

"How are you going to keep track of me?" I asked. " Won't this guy just disappear with me."

"We're going to put a tracker beneath your skin," Tony told me, picking up something that looked like an injection gun. "Pull the hair off your neck."

I gathered my long blonde hair up in my hand and left one side of my neck exposed so he could inject the device. I was willing to do whatever it took, as long as I got to see Tony again.

"This might hurt a little," he said softly, pressing the end of the gun into my neck. With one squeeze, the tiny device shot into my neck, burying itself underneath my skin. I winced sharply and gasped quietly.

"That's it. It'll stay in there until someone takes it out."

I looked up at Tony warily. "And how do they take it out? With a scalpel and tweezers?"

"Yeah," he replied.

"Tony!" Jack called. "It's time to go." He was watching us carefully and I didn't think he was very happy about our relationship.

Tony took my arm gently. "C'mon."

In the back of the SUV, I sat next to Tony, our shoulders almost touching. Jack was driving, since the rest of the crew was following us in another vehicle. Without a word, Tony brushed his hand against mine and then took it his. I knew this was his silent way of comforting me.

"When you get inside, whatever you do, don't give us away," Jack told me. "We're gonna be keeping eyes and ears on you, so don't worry. We will protect you."

"I understand what's a stake here, Bauer. I'm not gonna screw this up. You know, you've pretty much forced me to do this, so you might try being a little more diplomatic and not some damn bossy. I'm not a kid," I returned evenly. I was really tired of being treated like some little Barbie doll with an IQ of 0.

Bauer smiled and even laughed a little. "Fair enough." For the first time since Tony had introduced me to him, he wasn't glaring at me like I'd done something horribly wrong.

_Note: I am going to incorporate some of what is currently going on in the show, but it won't be exact, so please don't get confused. This is purely fiction, with a little bit of the real thing thrown in there. Everything belongs to FOX and CTU!_


	7. Don't Start Saying Your Goodbyes

"We're here," Bauer announced, pulling the van into the parking deck of an apartment building.

I swallowed hard. My heart was pounding in my ears and I was trembling. I tried to speak, but nothing would come out.

"C'mon," Tony told me, holding out his hand to me. He had already opened the door and gotten out and I hadn't even noticed.

I took his hand and got out. "Can you just give us a minute?" I asked hoarsely, looking at Jack.

He nodded, looking very solemn. "Make it quick," he told us.

I walked around the back of the SUV and Tony followed me. I looked down at the ground for a minute and then up at him. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing come out.

"Don't start saying your goodbyes," Tony insisted. "You're going to be fine. I swear." He pushed some hair out of my eyes. " I love you, Elle."

Tears rolled down my cheeks and Tony wiped them away with his thumbs. "I love you too," I whispered. "More than anything in the world. You're all I have left. Promise me you'll come back for me—promise me that you won't let him kill me."

"If he lays a finger on you, I'll slit his throat myself," Tony growled fiercely.

My chin started quivering, so I threw my arms around his neck and buried my face on his black leather jacket. He held me close for a minute or two, then took my face in his hands and kissed me passionately.

When we came back around the side of the car, Jack was waiting with a plastic zip tie. "I need to cuff your wrists," he said.

Without any objections, I held them out to him and he bound them tightly, causing the plastic cuff to cut sharply into my wrists. I winced, but still didn't say anything. What was the point? Everything that needed to be said already had been.

Tony and Jack lead me through down several flights of stairs and then into the apartment building. Just before we started down a long hallway, Jack slipped a knife into the front pocket of my jeans.

"If you feel like you need to defend yourself, use it. But otherwise, do whatever you're told too. That might keep you alive longer. Don't make him mad," Bauer advised me.

"I understand. Thanks for the advice," I managed to say, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. I was terrified and I knew it showed.

We walked down the hall and Jack knocked on the door of one of the units.

"Who is it?" I heard a foreign accent ask.

"It's Tony Almeida, Dubuku. I've got the package you requested," Tony replied, putting his hand on his gun out of habit, or maybe out of need. I wasn't sure which.

The door opened and I saw an African man standing just inside. "Come in," he told them.

Tony walked in first and Jack pushed me roughly so I'd follow him. They were playing the roles of two men who didn't care what happened to me. It scared me to see how convincing they were.


	8. Handing Over the Package

"This is Emerson's sister?" Dubaku asked, looking me up and down in a fashion that made me tremble.

"Yeah," Tony replied. "She's pretty docile and submissive."

I knew he was telling me what he wanted me to do. Obeying orders and not fighting back might keep me alive a little bit longer, especially since death seemed inevitable.

"Put her in the bedroom," Dubaku told Bauer. "Mr. Almeida and I will handle the financial aspects of our transactions."

Bauer took my arm roughly and led me back to the bedroom. I glanced back at Tony and gave him a brave smile. His face didn't have any expression, but his dark eyes were full of concern.

When Bauer opened the door to the bedroom, the sight in front of us stopped us both in our tracks. Henry Taylor, the First Gentleman, was tightly bound to a chair in the room, a gag stuffed in his mouth. His eyes got wide when he saw us coming in, but they weren't wide with fear.

Without any hesitation, Jack shoved me down on the ground opposite Mr. Taylor. "Be good," he ordered me.

Out in the living room, Dubaku handed Tony a silver briefcase. "Here is the ten-thousand dollars we agreed on," he said in his heavily accented voice.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Tony replied, a slight hint of sarcasm tinting the tone of his speech.

"She's a beautiful girl. She'll bring a fairly good price on the slave market, don't you think?" Dubaku's faced twisted into an evil smile, if such a man could actually smile.

"That's your plan?" Jack spoke as he closed the door behind him and came back into the room. "You're going to sell her?"

"That, or I might just kill her. First, I need some information about where she's hidden my money. Then, I will decide what to do with her."

After a few more hostile words between the three, Jack and Tony left, money in hand. Tony's expression was blank and, for once, Jack couldn't read his friend. Something that Dubaku had said had peaked his interest, however.

"He said that she knew where his money was," Jack remarked to Tony as the started down the stairwell.

"She's only involved in this because of who her brother was, Jack," Tony insisted. "She doesn't have anything to do with what David and I did."

"Are you sure?" Jack persisted. He wasn't as convinced as Tony was. "Maybe she was involved and didn't know it."

"Listen, Jack, the only thing that David ever did for his sister was to send her money and expensive jewelry, which she never wore. She put the money in a savings account and the jewelry in a safe deposit box. I know because I helped her put it in there," Tony told him.

Back in the bedroom, I glanced over at Henry Taylor. I really wanted to remove the gag from his mouth and ask him how he had gotten here, but I was frozen with fear by what I'd heard Dubaku say just before Bauer closed the bedroom door. He was thinking about selling me to the highest bidder. I'd kill myself before I let that happen.


	9. Flashback

Finally, I heard Dubaku on his cell phone, so I walked across the room and pulled the gag out of Mr. Taylor's mouth. He took in several deep breaths and moistened his dry lips.

"Sir, are you all right?" I asked, sitting down on the bed across from him.

"I'll be fine," he assured me. "Who are you?"

"My name is Elle. Elle Emerson, but I'm not important. How did you get here, Mr. Taylor?"

"It's a long story," he assured me. "We need to get out of here."

"I'm not sure how easy that's going to be, sir. That terrorist is outside the bedroom."

At that exact moment, the door to the room opened and Dubaku walked in. "I don't like being called a terrorist," he growled, his accent making his words slightly difficult to understand.

He walked over to me and grabbed my arm roughly, jerking me to my feet. I wanted to fight back, but I remembered Tony and Jack's advice and didn't object.

"You are going to tell me everything I want to know, Ms. Emerson," Dubaku declared, shoving me down into a wooden arm chair.

I didn't say anything. What could I tell him? I didn't know anything. When he pulled a knife out of his pocket, I flinched, wondering just how close death was. Instead, he merely cut the plastic tie that was binding my wrists and threw it away. Then, he walked away from me and pulled some belts out of a drawer.

My hands were trembling with fear and my mind was going over all the memories I had stored up. Especially the first time I'd seen Tony…

FLASHBACK:

I had just done a double front-flip off the high platform. My body had sliced into the water like a razor and I when I emerged, the cool water was dripping off me. My long hair was hanging in a long ponytail down the back and the minute I got out, I pulled the ponytail holder out and let my long hair hang down my back.

I picked my towel up off the bench and began drying myself off. Out of nowhere, a man with dark hair buzzed close. He was wearing jeans and a black button-up shirt. His eyes looked dark and mysterious, like he didn't trust anyone.

"Are you Elle Emerson?" he asked me, giving me one quick glance.

"Yeah, that's right." I squeezed the water out of my hair and slung it over my shoulder, not even trying to impress the strangely handsome guy. He looked older than me, but not by much.

"I've got a present from your brother," the guy told me, extending his hand to me. He was holding a package in it.

"Hang on to it for a second, will you? I've got to get dried off first," I told him, walking towards my gym bag where my was.

He followed, staying a safe distance away from me, almost as if he was wary of me.

"I haven't seen David in over five years," I remarked. "How do you know him?"

"I work with him," the guy replied shortly.

I pulled on a pair of Puma gym shorts and a thin white t-shirt over my black Speedo swimsuit, then extended my hand to him and took the manila envelope. "What's your name?" I asked.

"I'm Tony," he said, glancing around nervously.

"Tony who?"

"Almeida. My name is Tony Almeida," he finally said.

"Well, Mr. Almeida, you can stop looking around like you're not supposed to be in the girl's locker room. This is a co-ed pool, okay?"

For the first time, he gave me a half smile and I felt a strange sensation of warmth. There was something about this guy.

END OF FLASHBACK:


	10. Being Tortured

In moments, Dubaku was back at my side, holding a leather belt in his hands. " I need you to tell me where you put the money and jewels," he told me.

"What money and jewels?" I wanted to know, trying to act innocent. Of course I knew where they were. After getting so many different expensive gifts from David, along with large sums of money, Tony had wisely suggested I opening a separate savings account for the cash and get a safe-deposit box for the jewels, especially since they were too grand for me to wear to any parties I attended.

"Ms. Emerson, I know that you have a safe-deposit box that you opened not to long ago. I need you to get the jewels and money out of it," Dubaku insisted.

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about," I lied, trying to at least look like I was telling the truth.

Dubaku shook his head, stood up, and walked into the bathroom. I heard him turning the bathtub faucet on, but none of it made sense to me. Not until he came into back into the room, yanked me to my feet and began to bind my wrists behind my back with the belt.

When he pushed me into the bathroom and I saw the tub filling up with water, I knew something bad was coming. I'd seen enough movies over the years. Begging, however, wasn't something I was prepared to do.

"You have ten seconds to tell me what the security code to the safe deposit box, or I will make this very unpleasant for you," Dubaku threatened me.

I shook my head. "I'm not telling you anything. You're a terrorist and I've—I've seen what you do to people's lives."

With that said, Dubaku kicked me in the back of the knees and I collapsed next to the tub. With all of his strength, he forced my head under the water. I struggled frantically which caused me to swallow the bathwater. When he pulled me up for a minute, I gasped for breath and tried to cough the water out of my lungs.

"Do you want to tell me now?" he wanted to know.

I shook my head, even though it took all my self-will and strength to do it. If this was what drowning felt like, I never wanted that to happen to me.

For the next half hour, Dubaku continued to torture me in this manner. Finally, he seemed to give up and he left me gasping for air on the bathroom floor. Once again, my mind traveled back to a memory of Tony.

FLASHBACK:

I opened my apartment door to see Tony standing there. He had a jewelry box in his hand this time.

"Hello," I greeted him. "How are you?"

"I'm good," he replied, handing me the velvet box. "Goodnight." He turned to leave, but I caught his arm.

"Wait, Tony!" I took a deep breath. "Would you…do you want to come inside and have something to drink?"

He looked at me hard for a minute. "Sure."

In ten minutes, we were sitting on my sofa, drinking Cokes. Tony was pretty quiet for the most part, but I could tell something was bothering him.

"Is something wrong?" I asked him. "You seem quieter than usual, and you actually came in this time. You've never come into my apartment before, and you've been coming here for a while now."

"My wife died, three years ago today," he finally explained. "I guess I'm feeling a little depressed."

"I'm so sorry, Tony. I had no idea you had been married before." Sympathetically, I reached my hand over and touched his. To my surprise, he took it in his and held it tightly, something I definitely wasn't expecting.

"It was a long time ago," he whispered, leaning closer to me.

I was frozen where I was, right up till his lips touched mine. At that point, I melted against him, letting my empty coke can fall to the floor as my hand slid up his chest and around his neck.

Gently, he eased me back against the sofa cushions, his strong arms around me tightly. I sighed, unable to process exactly what was happening between us. All I knew was that this was one of the best moments of my life."

END FLASHBACK


	11. Another glimpse

The knife that Jack had given Elle actually had a built-in microphone and they(Jack, Tony, Chloe, Bill, and Renee) had listened in agonizing silence as Elle was tortured. Finally, when Dubaku left her alone, they could hear her coughing up water and gasping for breath. Tony was silent, but his very expression conveyed the intense emotions he was feeling. It was hard for him, not being able to help the woman he loved.

"Don't worry, Tony. We'll get her back. Alive," Jack promised him, squeezing his friend's shoulder.

"Yeah," was Tony's only reply.

In the bathroom of Dubaku's apartment, I was struggling to find some strength. My lungs burned horribly and my breathing came in short, desperate gasps. I knew that eventually, he'd come back and torture me more, maybe doing something worse this time. I couldn't be certain. All I knew was that I had to fight back—I had to find strength and the effort. I couldn't—I wouldn't die like this.

I got to my knees slowly. My wrists were still tightly bound and getting up was going to be twice as hard because of it. I could see my face in the mirror partially. My wet hair was plastered to my head and my mascara had smeared terribly. My skin was pale and in contrast with the dark eye makeup, I looked like something out of a Gothic horror film.

When I got to my feet, I stumbled out into the bedroom and collapsed onto the floor again.

"Are you okay?" Mr. Taylor asked, deeply concerned.

I coughed hard and my lungs ached horribly. "I'll be okay," I managed to say.

"We need to get out of here," the First Gentleman continued. "Before he kills you."

He was right. I needed more time. More time with Tony…

FLASHBACK

Atop the high diving platform, I turned to do a backwards 2 ½ somersault when I caught sight of Tony waiting for me down below. I waved at him, then re-focused on my dive. With skill and precision, I rose up on my tip-toes, pushed off and flawlessly executed the dive. My body hit the water and barely made a splash.

When I emerged, Tony was waiting with my towel. "Nice dive," he complimented me as I toweled off.

"Thanks." With that, I put my arms around his neck and looked up at him. He smiled down at me and then pressed his lips against mine gently, pulling me tight against him, even though I was soaking wet.

Behind us, several of the girls on my team started giggling and whispering. They had caught glimpses of my dark and mysterious boyfriend on previous occasions and thought it was the sweetest thing.

"Let's get out of here," Tony whispered, pressing his forehead against my wet one. "I want to be alone with you."

Back in my apartment, we had ordered pizza and cuddled close on the sofa. On the outside, Tony looked like a real tough guy, but down deep, he had a big heart. And, every time he came to see me, I fell deeper in love with him.

END FLASHBACK


	12. A discovery and a deal

_As I am not very familiar with the Washington, D.C. area, some of the locations in this chapter are or may be fictional. Please don't attempt to visit them! LOL_

I lay on the floor for what seemed like forever. My body felt drained of energy and my lungs still felt full of water. Finally, Dubaku came back into the room and I was trying to prepare myself for more torture. Instead, he jerked me up and sat me on the bed, then held a picture up in front of me. It was one of me in the pool and Tony leaning down to kiss me tenderly.

"You're involved with this man, Tony Almeida, aren't you?" he asked.

I shook my head adamantly. "That's not me," I lied, praying that he would believe me.

"I think it is you, and I'm betting that Mr. Almeida knows all about where you hid the money and jewels," Dubaku growled.

I shook my head again, beginning to dissolve into tears. "That IS NOT me!" I insisted.

Dubaku backhanded me across the face with all his strength. "I think I might just kill you now, but I need you alive, regrettably."

Tony, able to hear everything, cursed the turn of events. He hadn't thought that Dubaku would learn about their relationship. And he was right-- Tony did know where the jewels and money were. He had helped her open the safe-deposit box and the savings account. His name was also on the accounts, at Elle's request.

Moments later, his cell phone rang. It was Dubaku. Tony glanced at Jack, who had also heard the conversation.

"Yeah?" he answered the call very nonchalantly.

"I know about you and Ms. Emerson. I will kill her, Mr. Almeida, unless you meet me at the South Capitol Street bridge with the money and jewels. You have one hour."

"I want you speak to Elle," Tony told him.

There was a moment of silence until Elle got on the phone. "Tony?" she croaked, her voice sounding hoarse and raspy.

"Baby, just hang on. I'm going to get you out of there, I promise. Just hang on. We'll have you back in an hour," Tony assured her, closing his eyes and envisioning the beautiful blonde back in his arms again.

"Tony," Elle gasped. "Remember the high dive!"

At that point, the phone was jerked away from her and Dubaku came back on the line. "One hour, Mr. Almeida. And bring it all."

When he hung up, Tony cursed David Emerson. "That son-of-a-bitch involved his sister in this on purpose!"

"What did she mean by 'remember the high dive' ?" Jack wanted to know.

"Elle is a national champion at diving. She was trying to tell me that she'll jump off the bridge, if she has too."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that. Now, where is this bank?"

While Jack and Tony raced to get the money and jewels from the bank, Dubaku untied my wrists, re-gagged Mr. Taylor, and then forced me out the door. We headed back out to the parking deck, where Dubaku had a Mercedes Benz parked. He popped the trunk, then glanced around to make sure nobody was watching.

"Get in," he ordered me.

I wanted to stay conscious and calm, in case I did have to jump off the bridge, so I climbed in willingly and let him close me into the small space. Thank goodness I wasn't claustrophobic.

Jack and Tony called Renee and Bill and asked them to meet them at the bridge, in case backup was needed. Tony walked into the bank and easily withdrew the money and jewels, silently thanking God that Elle had insisted his name be on the account.

"I want you to be able to use the money if you ever need it," she had insisted. "And as for the safe deposit box, you can just put any jewelry David sends into the box and then come visit me."


	13. A high dive

The car stopped and I heard footsteps coming around the side of the car. The trunk popped open and I saw Dubaku standing over me.

"Get out," he ordered me.

I crawled out, still weak from being tortured. My lungs ached as I inhaled the cool October air(_let it be noted that I'm making up my own month. I have no reason to believe that 24 is actually taking place in October.) _

We walked across the bridge, staying on the sidewalk to avoid the cars. In the distance, I could see Tony and Jack coming towards us. Tony was carrying a black duffel bag, which I assumed contained the money and jewels.

There were at least thirty feet from us when Dubaku stopped me. "That's far enough. I have men watching this bridge," he shouted to Tony.

Slowly, I took a few steps towards the edge of the bridge. The rail wasn't high, but the fall was. It was almost twice the distance as the high platform, but I felt confident that I could do it.

"I want you to bring me the bag," Dubaku insisted. "When I have it, you can have the girl back."

He glanced at me, then back at Tony. That was my chance. I climbed up on the cinder block rail, checked to make sure that nothing was going to hinder my fall, then stood on the edge.

"Don't move!" Dubaku ordered me, pulling his gun out and aiming at me.

"Tony!" I exclaimed. "Don't give him what he wants!" With that, I raised up on my tip toes, then went off backwards, executing a sloppy double somersault.

The minute Elle went over the rail of the bridge, Bill pulled a van up next to Jack and Tony. Chloe slid the door open and the two of them jumped in.

"Go, go, go!" Tony shouted, slamming the door shut.

Dubaku leaned over the edge and fired several shots at Elle as she fell, then turned and shot at the van as it sped away.

As I fell, death suddenly stared me directly in the face. I heard gunshots ring out loudly and something sharp hit my shoulder. That pain was nothing compared to what I felt when I hit the water. I felt as though I'd landed on a million tiny icicles.

Numb and stunned, I sank deep into the river. Somewhere I found a tiny bit of strength and forced my legs to kick and propel me to the surface. When my head surfaced, I gasped for air. My lungs were burning again and my entire body felt stiff, not to mention the fact that my left shoulder was throbbing horribly.

Using my one good arm, I swam towards the shoreline. The current was strong and it pulled me downstream a good ways before I finally made it to the riverbank. Shivering and half-frozen, I huddled in the grass, scared and weak.

"Elle!" I heard Tony's voice yell. "Where are you? Make some noise, baby, so we can find you!"

Weakly, I got to my feet and looked around for him. He was thirty yards upstream with Jack and Renee.

"Tony?" I called, walking towards him feebly. My legs felt like solid chunks of ice, I couldn't stop shivering, and I was gasping for air. Tony looked up, saw me, and began running towards me.

I collapsed into his arms, relieved that, for a little while at least, I was safe. "You found me," I whispered, reaching up and touching his face with my fingertips.

"You're safe now, Elle. Don't worry," Tony assured me.


	14. Rescued

As Tony lifted Elle into his arms and carried her to the van, her head fell against his chest and she closed her eyes.

"I'm…so…cold," she managed to say, her teeth chattering and her lips turning somewhat blue.

"We'll get you warm soon, don't worry," Tony told her.

Jack came rushing towards him. "Is she okay?" he asked, genuinely concerned. What affected Tony affected Jack as well.

"She's been hit in the shoulder and she's really cold," Tony explained. "We need to get her dry and warm. Fast."

In the back of the van, Tony pulled my soaking wet shirt off and wrapped me in his leather jacket. Acute pains shot through my left shoulder and I sobbed quietly, not completely aware of everything that was going on around me.

"It hurts," I managed to say.

"I need something to put on the wound," Tony told Chloe and Renee. Chloe handed him a towel that she had found somewhere in their gear and Tony pressed that down on my shoulder. I whimpered, my body stiffening as worse pain shot through my body.

"Just stay with me," Tony whispered. "I'll get you through this."

"What…about…Mr. Taylor?" I wanted to know. " Someone needs…to help him."

Tony reached down and cupped my face in one of his strong hands. I kissed it lightly with my cold lips. "We'll get him back, Elle. Don't worry. Just rest."

Following Tony's orders, I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. I was safe, I told myself. Dubaku didn't have me anymore. I was back with Tony.

Somehow, I slipped away into a darkness unlike any I'd ever experience before. It was cold and lonely. I was in pain and nothing I did would stop it. Tony wasn't there. In fact, I was completely alone. It was the worst thing I could ever remember.

When I awoke, I was lying on a couch in the same warehouse that Jack and Tony had taken me to before. A couple of thick blankets were lying over me and the wound in my shoulder was bandaged up well. Slowly, I sat up despite the fact that my head was aching dully. Probably from passing out, I assumed.

My shirt was still missing and someone had removed my soaking wet pants as well, however, right beside the sofa somebody had left me some extra clothes. I slowly pulled the shirt over my head, since moving my left shoulder was hard. Not only did it hurt, but all the muscles felt stiff.

Once I was dressed, I walked out into the larger room of the warehouse. Chloe was sitting at the computer and FBI Agent Walker was cleaning her gun thoroughly.

"Where is everybody?" I wanted to know, rubbing my eyes.

"They went to see what they could do about Henry Taylor. Tony said to tell you that he'd be back as soon as possible."

"Oh, well I think I'll rest until they get back," I decided.

As I lay on the sofa, I thought back to the other good memories I had about Tony. They were few, but I cherished each one.

FLASHBACK:

I woke up lying on the sofa in my apartment. Tony's arms were still wrapped around me and my head was still against his solid chest. I could feel him breathing in and out rhythmically and I realized that my own breathing was perfectly in sync with his. Despite the fact that I didn't want too, I got untangled myself from his arms and got went into the bathroom to take a shower.

When I got out, I pulled on some cheerleading shorts and a thin white tank top, then went to the kitchen to fix some breakfast. It was nine-thirty in the morning and I knew that when Tony woke up, he would be hungry.

As I made coffee, two strong arms slipped around me and I jumped, spilling the coffee grounds. "Tony!" I exclaimed. "You've got to quit scaring me like that!" I turned around in his arms.

"I don't really scare you, do I?" Tony asked, looking down at me seriously.

I brushed my fingertips over the slight scruff of his five o'clock shadow. "No, you don't. I trust you more than anyone else I've ever known."

Tony leaned in close and kissed me slowly and passionately, pulling me so close that our bodies were almost welded together.

"I love you, Elle," he told me, breaking apart briefly to catch his breath.

Tears came to my eyes. It was the first time anyone had ever told me that. "I love you too, Tony."

He kissed me again and this time, he backed me against the wall and knotted his fingers in my hair roughly.


	15. Author's Note

AUTHOR'S NOTE

_ I will not be rescuing the First Gentlemen like in the show. I've already gotten so far off the beaten path as far as what's going on in the show coinciding with my story. Please just remember that __**all of this is purely fiction. The characters belong to Fox…well, no one owns Jack Bauer but…**_

_Thank you so much for continuing to read. I'll try to get the next chapter up ASAP._


	16. I'm doing this to protect you

"Hey, Elle. Wake up." Tony's voice broke into the darkness and I was suddenly jolted back into the real world.

My eyes opened and I saw my dark, mysterious Tony looking down at me, his eyes full of vulnerability and concern. He looked so worried and scared, which scared me. Tony was supposed to be strong and confident.

"Hey," I whispered, smiling faintly up at him. "I'm glad you're back. I was dreaming about you."

Tony smiled and then bit his bottom lip, an adorable habit he had. "What'd you dream about me?" he wanted to know.

"I was dreaming about the day you told me you loved me and how you made me burn the toast." We both laughed a little, but the motion hurt my arm and I gasped mid-chuckle.

"Take it easy," Tony advised me. "We don't have anything for the pain. Sorry."

I shook my head. "It's cool. I just need to be still, I think. Do you have any water? I'm really thirsty."

Tony got me a bottle of water and, after helping me sit up, he handed it to me. "We are going to leave soon to get Henry Taylor back. You can stay here, or you can come along for the ride."

I shook my head, holding his hand tightly in mine. "I don't ever want to be separated from you. Never again."

He smiled again and I felt my eyes filling with tears for some odd reason. Suddenly, I threw my arm around his neck and buried my face on his shoulder.

In ten minutes, we were all in the back of the van, driving towards the apartment where Dubaku had held me hostage. Hopefully, Henry Taylor was still there. I highly doubted it, however. If he was, though, Jack and Tony would get him out.

As we rode, I leaned my head against Tony's shoulder wearily. Although everything that had happened since he came back into my life just a few short hours ago had been stressful and somewhat painful, I was glad he was back. He was mine. Tony was mine.

"What exactly are we going to do?" I asked.

"We're going to get Mr. Taylor back," Agent Walker replied, leaning her head back against the van.

"Yes, but I meant do we have a plan about how we're going to that?" I pressed. Plans were a part of my life. I liked to know what the plan was at all times.

"I'm not sure. Jack knows," she told me, wincing and touching the bandage on her neck.

"Are you okay?" I wanted to know, concerned. She looked somewhat pale. Of course, I probably didn't look like a million bucks either.

Jack, in the front seat with Mr. Buchanan, looked back sharply. "Renee? Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. My neck is just sore and I've got a headache. I'll be fine," she assured him, looking at him intently. Then, she looked at me. "Jack shot me earlier today."

"After everything else that's happened today, I can't say I'm surprised!" I remarked dryly.

As I felt Tony's strong arm around my shoulders, holding me tight against his warm body, my mind drifted back to another memory I had of him—of us…together.

FLASHBACK:

I opened my apartment door one night, having just come back from a study group meeting at the campus library. After locking the door behind me, I dropped my bag in one of the kitchen chairs and then walked into the kitchen to grab a drink from the fridge.

The apartment was so quiet that I decided to turn the TV on for noise. When I walked into the living room, a terrifying sight met my eyes. Tony was lying on the floor, unconscious, and covered in blood.

"Tony!" I screamed, dropping my drink. The dark brown liquid gushed out onto the carpet, but I didn't care. "Baby?" I gasped, kneeling by his side and feeling his wrist for a pulse.

It was there, and strong, but the blood had come from somewhere. "Tony," I sobbed. "Please wake up!"

He groaned and his eyelids fluttered open. "What the hell?" he mumbled.

"Tony, what happened?" I demanded to know, so relieved at seeing him awake that I could barely contain my joy.

"I…got into a fight. I didn't know where else to go."

I nodded. "Are you hurt?" I knew he was lying to me. His knuckles weren't busted and I could plainly see the gun underneath his jacket.

"Yeah, but not bad. A bull—I got cut with a knife. I need to clean the wound."

"Let's get to the bathroom," I suggested.

I cleaned the wound according to Tony's precise directions. I wasn't so blonde that I couldn't see that it was a gunshot wound. My guess was that the bullet had grazed his side, but I was only judging by what I'd learned watching CSI reruns. Somehow, I instinctively knew that he was lying to me, but I wasn't sure why.

I turned to put away the First Aid kit, but Tony caught my arm gently. "Elle," he said hesitantly. " I wish I could tell you everything, but I can't. It's for your own good. I'm trying to protect you."

I nodded. " You promise that you'd tell me if you could? Truly?'

"I swear." He stared directly into my eyes and I could see that he was being honest with me.

"I love you," I whispered, pressing my forehead against his.

"I love you, too." He pulled me close and kissed my lips lightly.

END FLASHBACK

_Please give me some good ideas on how to kill off Henry Taylor. Also, heads up—the next episode may not be so much about Elle and Tony._


	17. Not so safe safehouse

Jack was beginning to worry about Renee—Agent Walker. She looked pale and tired and he swore he saw her hands trembling. He climbed out of the front seat and sat beside Renee. Chloe was talking with Tony and Elle about something else.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Jack asked Renee.

She nodded. "I'm just tired. Everything that has happened—it just doesn't seem real right now."

Jack put his hand on her arm gently. "I'm sorry that you're involved in all of this. And I'm sorry I had to shoot you."

Renee half laughed, half sobbed. "I'm just glad you didn't kill me. Not like that." She put her hand on Jack's lightly and they're fingers interlocked briefly. Renee took in a shallow breath.

"This is…impossible," she whispered. "I just met you a few hours ago."

Jack smiled a little, looking down at the floor. "Yeah. I know."

_Elle's P.O.V._

"Where are we going exactly?" I asked, watching Jack and Agent Walker with interest. They were practically holding hands.

"To a location where we think that Dubaku moved Henry Taylor too," Tony replied. "But we're going to drop you off at a safe house and then go."

"What kind of safe house?" I wanted to know. "Wasn't I safe back at the warehouse?"

"This will be better. It's an FBI safe house that Renee told us about. You and Chloe are going to stay there while we deal with Mr. Taylor and Dubaku."

"Promise me you'll be careful," I whispered so that only he could hear.

Tony leaned down and kissed my forehead lightly. "I promise."

When they dropped us off at the safe house, they left me and Chloe O'Brian, the computer nerd. Just before they left, Tony handed me a 9mm handgun.

"If you feel threatened, use this, but only if you have too," he instructed me.

I nodded, massaging my sore shoulder gently. "I understand."

Tony leaned in and kissed me passionately and roughly. "You'll be fine, baby. I love you."

"I love you too," I called to him as he got into the van.

The house was small, but nice. Chloe set up her computer on the bar in the kitchen.

"I hope they won't be gone long," I remarked, unsure of what exactly to say to her.

"You really love Tony, don't you?" Chloe spoke up suddenly.

Taken aback, I hesitated before answering. "Yes, I do. Is there something wrong with that?"

"No," Chloe said abruptly. "It's just a shame he'll have to go to prison after today, since he's done so many bad things and all."

My heart skipped a beat and the granola bar I was opening fell to the floor. "Prison?" I breathed. "What for? What does he have to go to prison for?"

"For everything he did when he was working for your brother," Chloe replied. I turned around and she saw the obvious look of distress on my face.

"You mean he didn't tell you? I assumed you knew." Chloe's expression became embarrassed and awkward.

"We haven't seen each other in months. Today was the first time in a while and we haven't exactly had a chance to talk," I said quietly, leaning down to pick up the dropped energy bar.

"I just never could picture Tony with anyone besides Michelle. He loved her so much," Chloe continued. Her conversation wasn't boosting my morale by any means. I swallowed hard and tried to forget about what she had said. We would deal with all of this when the crisis was over. At least, I hoped it would. I hoped we'd both make it out alive.

After a quick exploration of the house, I crashed on the sofa and pulled a blanket over me. My strength was quick to wane and I needed some rest to refresh me. I closed my eyes and quickly fell into a deep, troubled sleep.

I was awakened by someone shaking me roughly. "Go away," I mumbled, rolling over. I rolled onto my gunshot wounded-shoulder and cursed loudly, sitting up immediately.

"Elle! Wake up!" Chloe demanded. "We have to go! Now!"

I looked around, for a moment forgetting where I was. "What's going on?" I asked. "Is Tony back?"

"No! There are men outside with guns. We've gotta get out of here!"

I hurried behind her, picking up my jacket and the gun Tony had given me. We headed for the front door, but we were too late. Two men wearing masks burst through the door, aiming their automatic weapons at us.

"Let's go!" of them shouted, pushing us out the door.

I draped my coat over the gun and hurried behind Chloe, not at all excited about what I was going to have to do.


	18. What we have to do

We walked outside and I was hoping that someone in the neighborhood would have seen what had happened, but nobody was around.

Slipping my hand underneath my jacket as the two men pushed us towards the nearby van, I switched off the safety on the handgun and slid my finger around the trigger.

"What are you going to do?" Chloe whispered.

"Get ready to run if we have too," I replied quietly. With that, I pulled the gun out and shot the first man before he saw what was coming. The other whirled around to shoot Chloe, but I put two bullets in his chest before he could kill her.

For a moment, I stood still, somewhat in shock. It suddenly occurred to me that these men were wearing suits and had earpieces in. They looked like…Secret Service.

"They're Secret Service," Chloe announced, calmly looking pulling their badges out of the men's back pockets.

"Why were they trying to abduct us?" I wanted to know. My voice didn't even sound like my own voice.

"You kinda missed some stuff while you were sleeping," Chloe told me. "I'll fill you in soon. Hang on." She pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number, then placed the phone against her ear. "Morris, it's me. I need you to come pick us up. We'll be at the corner of…" she glanced at the nearby street signs, " Ventnor and Alison Street. We're in Alexandria. Hurry."

We walked up to the stop sign slowly as Chloe explained everything to me. "While you were resting, we all went to see the President. We're working with her now, and she wanted us to get her husband back because Dubaku threatened to kill him. Jack and Renee are also working with Renee's boss, Larry Moss."

"So why the hell is Secret Service trying to kill us?" I demanded to know. The gun was still in my hand and I felt like a danger to myself.

" Someone inside the FBI is helping Dubaku. They've also got a man inside the Secret Service, so they must have found out that we were staying at the safehouse somehow."

As I processed all of this, a car pulled up. I was surprised to see a middle-aged, handsome guy driving and a toddler in the back in a carseat.

"Get in, love," the guy told Chloe. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Elle Emerson. She's Tony's girlfriend. Elle, this is my husband, Morris O'Brian, and my son."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss. Emerson," Morris told me as I fastened my seatbelt.

"Same here," I replied absently. My mind was miles away.

As we headed out of the neighborhood, Chloe's phone rang. She answered it and I discerned from her conversation that she was talking to Jack Bauer.

"He got shot?" she echoed. "Yeah, I can go to the FBI building. What do you want Elle to do?"

When she hung up, she looked back at me. "Henry Taylor got shot and Jack and Renee are following up a lead. They want us to go to the FBI building where Renee works. We're going to help her boss."

"FBI building it is," Morris said, pulling onto the freeway.

"Where is Tony?" I asked anxiously. "Is he safe."

"Uh…yeah," Chloe replied. "He's fine."

We arrived at the FBI building shortly and, after Chloe said goodbye to her husband and son, we headed inside. Larry Moss, the head of that office, met us in the hallway.

"We've prepared a room for you to rest in, ," he told me. "We don't want to raise suspicion by having you in here as well. We've already created a cover for Ms. O'Brian."

"Thank you, Agent Moss," I told him, walking into the room he offered me.

"Oh, Elle, Jack said they'd send someone over to keep an eye on you soon, especially after what happened to you at the safe-house."

"Okay."

In the room, I found several recent magazines and a laptop, which was connected to wireless internet. I was about to check my Facebook account when it occurred to me that, if people were trying to kill me, I might not should get online, because I was willing to bet that they could track a signal from the computer.

As I sat down in a chair in the corner and picked up a magazine, I realized that my shoulder was still really sore. The wound was still relatively new and my entire shoulder was stiff, not to mention I was still somewhat exhausted from being tortured by Dubaku.

I started to read the magazine when my cell phone rang. It was Tony and I felt so safe seeing his number pop up on my caller ID again.

"Hey, where are you?" I asked, answering the phone.

"That doesn't matter. Listen, I just talked to Jack. He told me about you and Chloe being attacked. I'm gonna have somebody come to the FBI building soon to protect you. He's a former CTU agent, but you can trust him."

"Tony…I just killed two Secret Service agents. They tried to kidnap us and I—I just did what I had too. I'm so sorry."

Right there, alone in the room, I burst into tears. I had killed someone. Two someones. And, even though they had been attempting to kill me.

_Please note the change in the end of this edited chapter. I changed "former Secret Service Agent" to former "CTU agent"_


	19. An old friend returns

Listen, I need some help. Where do you think Tony is? What is he doing? Give me some ideas, please!

I waited for about thirty minutes in the room after talking to Tony. He still wouldn't tell me where he was, and that worried me. My mind was in a raging turmoil of thoughts, from everything to the men I'd killed to the person who was coming to protect me to where the hell Tony Almeida was when I needed him. When his country needed him.

I had almost dozed when I heard a conversation outside, in the hallway. Curious, but mainly bored, I walked over to the door and listened to what sounded like two people talking outside.

"I don't know exactly what Chloe O'Brian is doing here, but I think we need to alert Dubaku to her presence. She's tracking someone and Jack Bauer is helping her. I'm pretty sure Renee and Larry are in on this too," a male voice said.

Damn! There went our covert operation. And who was going to alert Dubaku? I pressed my ear against the door harder, intent on hearing what else was being said.

"You're right, Sean. And we need to find out whom exactly Moss just gave clearance for. I saw that he's left a security pass for someone at the West Entrance. I'll try and find out who it is," a female voice insisted.

As soon as I heard them walking away, I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Tony's number. It went straight to voicemail.

"Damnit!" I swore. "Tony, where the hell are you?" When the phone beeped, I left him an urgent message. "Tony, somebody inside the FBI building knows why Chloe is here. They also know that Buchanan is sending someone to protect me. I need your help! Where are you?"

I hung up with him, and then thought of the other people I could call. Jack Bauer's number didn't answer, and neither did Renee Walker. Finally, Bill Buchanan did.

"Mr. Buchanan, it's Elle Emerson," I announced. "I hate to be a problem, but the FBI is definitely compromised. I just overheard a conversation between two people saying they were going to alert Dubaku to Chloe being here. They also know that Larry Moss left a pass for someone to get in, which I'm guessing is the former CTU agent that Tony is sending over."

"Elle, where are you?" Mr. Buchanan wanted to know.

"I'm in a room at the FBI building. They put me here so no one would see me and ask who I was," I explained. "Do you know how soon Tony's guy will be here?"

"I just spoke with him. He should be there in a few minutes."

I breathed a ragged sigh of relief. I was exhausted and it seemed like a constant struggle to live.

"Elle, just let me know when he gets there, okay? You can call me back at this number for anything. Don't be scared. Everything's going to be fine. I promise."

"Sean, can I talk to you for a second?" Erika asked Sean Hillinger.

"Yeah, sure. What is it?" Sean wanted to know, never looking up from his computer screen.

"I just intercepted a call out of the building. It came from the cell phone of Elle Emerson."

"And who is she?"

"She's David Emerson's younger sister. According to our file, David Emerson has connections with terrorists, but we've never been able to apprehend him. What is his sister doing in this building?

"Elle Emerson? She's the one Dubaku held prisoner earlier, but she got away. Apparently, she and Tony Almeida are involved together. I bet he'd take it as a big favor if we turned her over to him," Sean said. "Do you know which room she's in?"

"Room 387, just down the hall. But you better hurry because who ever Larry Moss got clearance for just came into the building. I'm guessing he's here to protect her."

I was sitting on alert when someone knocked on the door of the room. Cautiously, I opened the door. It was a dark-headed young man who was smiling politely.

"Elle Emerson?" he asked. "I'm Sean Hillinger. I'm a former CTU agent. I'm working with Chloe O'Brian and Tony Almeida."

I looked at him suspiciously. "Do you have any proof of who you are?" I wanted to know, wary of anyone who might be trying to kill me.

"Yeah, sure." He pulled out his wallet and showed me his driver's license. His name _was _Sean Hillinger.

"Sorry," I apologized. "I've been through a lot lately."

"That's not a problem, Ms. Emerson. Would you mind coming with me? We're going to get you somewhere safer. The FBI has been compromised."

"I know!" I exclaimed, grabbing my jacket and following him. "I overheard a conversation between two people—a man and a woman—and they were talking about telling Dubaku that Chloe was here."

A strange expression passed over the man's face as he opened a door for me. "In here," he told me.

I walked into the room and just as I realized that this wasn't right, a strong arm encircled my neck and cut off my air supply.

A tall young man with a well-defined jawline knocked on the door of Room 387 and a blonde-haired young woman opened it.

"Yes?" she said demurely.

"I'm Chase Edmunds. I'm looking for Elle Emerson."

"I'm her," the woman replied.


	20. The Moles

I woke up in a dark room, bound and gagged tightly. My head ached again and I vaguely wondered how many of my brain cells had been killed in the past six hours due to lack of oxygen. Slowly, I rolled over onto my stomach and then pulled myself to my knees.

All around me were back up hard-drives for the computers in the FBI building. I was somewhere in the midst of the dozens of rows, where no one would ever look for me. My wrists were bound behind my back, so I couldn't remove the gag, which felt like a man's tie. I wanted to move, but my ankle was cuffed to one of the servers and I couldn't budge it no matter how hard I pulled. Every effort seemed futile.

"Chase Edmunds? Do I know you?" the young woman asked Chase.

He shook his head and smiled reassuringly. "No. I'm a former CTU agent. I'm working with Tony Almeida and Jack Bauer. Tony said to remind you about the day he made you burn the toast."

The woman smiled and laughed a little. "Oh yeah, good times. So, are you ready to go?"

"Shouldn't we wait on Chloe?" Chase asked, looking at her sharply.

"Chloe's going to be a while. She said for us to go ahead and leave. Larry Moss is watching out for her."

"Okay. Let's get out here then."

Erika picked up the bag that belonged to Elle Emerson. Sean had brought it to her when he knocked her out and tied her up in one of the server rooms. She made sure her gun was still in the bag and then she followed the young man out of the room. They walked down the hallway and she purposely fell behind a little.

"Stop right there!" she ordered, pulling the gun from the bag.

Chase turned around and his eyes grew wide when he saw the weapon. "Hold it, Ms. Emerson. What's the gun for?"

One of the doors on the long hall opened and a dark-haired guy gestured for the two of them to come in. "Get him out of the hallway, Erika. You're going to get us both caught."

Chase was pushed into the room, which was full of computer backup servers. "I'm guessing you're not the real Elle Emerson," he remarked.

Before she could answer his question, the man cold-cocked him and Chase fell to the ground with a very solid thud. Sean pulled out another pair of handcuffs he'd found in the field room and cuffed the man's wrists behind his back.

"His name is Chase Edmunds. He's a former CTU agent," Erika explained. "We better hide him with the girl and quick. Sometimes Janis comes in here to reboot Server 4 when it glitches."

I heard someone talking and then something heavy hit the ground. After a few minutes, I heard footsteps coming my way and it sounded like someone or something was being dragged. I immediately lay back down and went limp, trying to appear as though I was unconscious still.

Through the tiniest slits in my eyes, I saw that it was Sean Hillinger, the man who had knocked me out, and a young woman with blonde hair. They were dragging a tall young man who was out like a light.

"She's still not awake. Are you sure you didn't kill her, Sean?" the woman asked.

"No. I just knocked her out. I have to wait and see if Dubaku wants her. My contact is getting back to me soon."

"The sooner we get them out of here, the better," the woman replied.

When they were gone, I sat up again and pulled at the cuff around my ankle. It wouldn't give at all. The gag was making it hard to breathe and I struggled to remain calm, despite the desperate situation. For a brief moment, I felt like crying because Tony wasn't here to help me, but I dismissed the idea quickly. It wasn't like it would actually do any good.

After what seemed like hours, the young man groaned and moved slightly. Finally, he rolled over and his eyes opened. For several seconds, he looked around, trying to figure out where he was. I wanted to ask if he was okay, since I guessed he was the actual person who was supposed to come and get me.

He saw me and his eyes grew wide. "Elle Emerson?" he asked weakly. I nodded, yes. "Are you hurt?" he wanted to know. I shook my head, no. "Well, just hang on," he told me. "I'm gonna try and get us out of here."

Meanwhile, Tony saw that he had a voicemail from Elle. When he listened to it, he immediately became alarmed. He called Chase, but his phone went directly to voicemail and so did Elle's. Finally, he called Chloe. She answered, but sounded annoyed.

"Yeah, Tony, what is it? I'm already babysitting your girlfriend who, I might add, seems way too you—"

"Chloe, listen to me. I think Elle is in trouble. When was the last time you saw her?"

"About half an hour ago, when I left her in a room until I finish up here. What's wrong Tony? I'm kinda busy here."

" I got a message from Elle saying that she knew that their was a mole in the building. You need to find her right now and put her under protection. I can't get ahold fo her or Chase."

"Fine," Chloe agreed, sticking out her bottom lip. "I'll see what I can do and I'll get back to you."

"Thanks, Chloe," Tony said. "Elle means everything to me."


End file.
